We will always stand by you, Abe
by SinkMeInTheRiverAtDawn
Summary: I do not own Hellboy or any of the characters. I just own a laptop and my ideas.
1. Close To Death

It was during the middle of the night when the ear-piercing sirens and the flashing red lights woke everyone from their sleep. Hellboy growled in annoyance and looked at the clock hanging on the far wall near the door. "It's 3 in the freakin morning..." He grumbled as he sat up. Liz was already up and out of bed getting dressed.

"You know they don't care right?" She asked just as annoyed as he was. "Hurry up and get dressed, we can go back to sleep when were done." She walked out of the room while slipping a long sleeve black shirt over her head. Slowly Hellboy got up and got dressed following her while pulling his trench coat over his shoulders.

"Go back to sleep? Hell were gonna be up the rest of the night dealing with whatever this is... It's never and easy case, Liz."

She only shrugged and turned into another hallway "Yeah well that's our job, isn't it?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah... let's just get this over with." Soon they were in the main entrance with around 30 other agents, but one was missing. Hellboy looked around the room. "Where's Abe? Aunt he usually the first one here, I mean besides no face over there." He nodded to Kruass standing at attention looking at everyone.

"I don't know" Liz shrugged and looked around as well "Maybe he's doing something else." Hellboy gave her a 'what?' look. "What?" She asked crossing her arms

"Doin' somthin' else? Like what? What could he be doin' at 3 in the morning?" Now it was Liz's turn to give him the 'what?' look.

"Abe. You're asking what he could be doing." She sighed "He's always up during the night, he hardly sleeps."

"How do you know?"

"When you and I fight I go to the library. He lives in there. Whenever I go in and it's late he's always listening to his music and reading, that or he's looking over case files."

Hellboy was about to speak when Kruass began to speak "Sorry to awaken all of you but there is an emergency-" Hellboy cut him off

"Really? Because the annoying as hell sirens weren't evident enough." Sarcasm dripped from his words. Kruass sighed and shook his glass dome of a head.

"Anyway, before Agent Hellboy decided to interrupt. There in an emergency in Brooklyn. A hydra has managed to get into the city and has destroyed much of the area. We have reason to believe that it is not alone and someone nearby is controlling its actions and has brought it into the area to draw someone or something out. We will be leaving in 5 minutes." He turned and left.

"A hydra? Isn't that, that dragon thing with 5 heads?" Hellboy asked Liz. She nodded

"Yes, you cut off 1 head 2 grow back in its place. That alone makes it ten times harder to kill." Hellboy groaned

"Great... Well let's go get this over with." Within 5 minutes they were on their way to Brooklyn. Abe managed to show up as they were leaving and came along. "Where the hell were you?" Hellboy leaned over slightly looking at his friend

"Mr. Kruass wanted to speak to me about the hydra, he needed to know how to kill it and since I seem to be the only one who knows more about the creatures we fight, he came to me before briefing everyone." Abe replied while opening a book and looking into it.

"Well how do ya kill it?"

"You cut off the heads and-" Hellboy cut him off

"I thought you couldn't cut its heads off? Wont 2 more grow back?" He questioned tilting his head slightly.

"And, burn the stumps so the heads cannot grow back." He finished

"Oh..." Hellboy mumbled and leaned against the seat.

Abe continued "It was said that the middle head was immortal and it has very poisonous venom and breath. It has two arms and legs with knife-like claws, sharp spines or spikes and a long serpent tail." He paused then continued "Hellboy."

"Yeah? What is it?"

"The Hydra is an ancient Greek mythical beast that was mentioned in the tale of the twelve labors of Hercules. This creature is very dangerous and according to myth even Hercules had trouble defeating it."

"Yeah, what's your point, blue?" He asked while lighting a cigar.

"We should not take this creature lightly. Hercules was a demi god and had trouble with it. You have trouble when you and Liz have a fight." Liz smirked slightly while Hellboy growled

"Oh shut it, at least I can get a date." Abe sighed and shook his head placing a hand on his forehead.

"My point being, try not being cocky during this mission. One slip up could get us all killed." Krauss spoke next

"He is right agent Hellboy; we cannot afford to mess this up. You need to stay focused." Hellboy pressed his lips together slightly and shook his head at Krauss

"I told you that you shouldn't use that word with your accent."

Soon they made it to Brooklyn and went out in search of the hydra. They found one street where bodies were thrown about, cars smashed and buildings began to crumble. Hellboy stood sideways and looked at everyone "Wanna bet its heading that way?" He smiled and took off running in that direction.

"Agent Hellboy, you cannot run into this without thinking first!" Krauss yelled to him with his hand raised towards him. He sighed "C'mon we need to follow him; we will make up a plan while he gets himself killed." They all began to run after Red.

"So the plan?" Liz asked, Blue looked at her

"Well how about first we get Hellboy, then we cut its heads off and you burn the stumps?" He suggested

"All while trying not to die. Alright I like it." She answered.

"Where did he go?" Liz asked not seeing Hellboy anywhere. They stopped and looked around.

Abe walked a few steps forward only to have Hellboy thrown into him. They skidded across the broken cracked street. "F-found him..." Abe said standing shakily. "Where the hydra?"

"Pissed and heading this way." Hellboy said shaking some rubble off of his coat "Bastard broke my cigar." He growled and took his gun from its holster

"Red we cannot fight it with bullets like that." Blue instructed

"What do you want me to do then? Ask it to play nice?"

"No, we need to cut the heads off so Liz can burn the stumps. That will kill it." Hellboy sighed and looked over as the hydra slammed through a building and roared at them. It had 6 heads and was a dark gray color.

"What the hell did you do, agent Hellboy?!" Krauss yelled when he saw its extra head

"It wasn't me! One of the rookies dropped a billboard on its neck." He glared at what would be the man's face then looked to Abe. "So how we gonna cut its heads off?"

Abe glanced around when some telephone pole wires caught his eyes "If we can get the electricity off we can use those wires." He nodded to the fallen telephone poles.

"You realize how thick that things skin it, right? The billboard almost failed at cutting one head off."

"We can bundle the wires together and tie them to something. If we can at least get it under control then we can kill it, the wires only need to hold it down."

"How are we gonna cut the heads off after that?" He asked heading over to the telephone poles with Abe, Liz and Krauss.

"I haven't figured that part out yet." Abe answered

Hellboy looked at him and sighed "That's just great…" Kruass turned and left quickly "Where the hell is he goin'?"

Abe shrugged slightly "Not sure, but it is Krauss, he probably has an idea." Abe looked at the live wires thrashing on the ground like a fish on a hook. "There should be a power box nearby that can turn the electricity off."

"You mean like that one?" Liz pointed to a box with an electrical sign on the front of it attached to the side of one of the poles.

"Precisely, Liz." Abe nodded and ran over to it. He threw open the box and shutting down the electricity to the area. "Wait a moment before touching the wires just in case." He yelled to them. Hellboy ignored his friend and grabbed the wires ripping hem from the poles they were attached to "Or you could just do that…" He muttered as he ran back over to them.

"Blue, behind you!" Liz yelled to him. He turned around just in time to see one of the heads bite down onto his arm and lift him into the air. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from screaming out in pain. "Blue!" Liz yelled again taking her gun and firing at the head that held her friend. Abe looked at the hydras eyes; he didn't see anything in its eyes but suffering. Painfully he managed to get his glove off his free hand and placed his palm on the creatures head.

"Y-you're suffering…." He mumbled feeling weak. "Something's controlling you, b-but wh-what?" Just as he spoke those words the hydra screeched in pain and let go of him. Time seemed to slow as he fell from its teeth; he hadn't realized how high up he had been. Before he could do anything, react in any way he felt the hard ground connect with his back. He gasped and choked as his breathing apparatus shattered on the cement. He could make out the sounds of people yelling and the hydra screeching, he saw shapes above him and colors. He could barely make out the outline of Hellboy and Liz. Liz had her hands on his shoulders and was yelling his name while Hellboy was firing at the hydra to keep it away. Slowly he let the darkness consume him.


	2. Krauss

_"What do you think it is?" Came the muffled voice of a man. Abe was barely conscious but could still make out what it was they were saying. Who or what were they talking about? He continued to listen as someone else spoke, a woman this time._

_"Not sure… Maybe we should stop trying to revive it and just skip to dissecting it." She suggested, her voice held little to no emotion as she spoke about this so called "it" Abe still had no idea what they were talking about, when he tried to speak or even open his eyes he found that it was like his eyes and mouth were sewn shut. He heard a sigh coming from another male voice._

_"No. let us keep it alive awhile longer. We could figure more out about it if it stays alive." He was silent for a moment. "Maybe…"_

_"Maybe what?" The woman asked annoyance held highly in her voice._

_"Maybe we can shock it awake." He could hear movement and some cabinets being opened and closed. "John open it up." He could hear said person say something along the lines of "are you sure? It could be faking for all we know." This was answered with "Just open it." Something else was mumbled that he couldn't quite make out and then he heard something loud being opened it sounded like screeching metal that ripped at his sensitive ears. Then his body felt like it was on fire and her couldn't stop but scream out in pain which instantly stopped the worst of the pain but a throb of it was left throughout his entire body. "Holy shit, it worked!" The voice was even more muffled now but he could make out the happiness in it. His vision slowly returned to him and he found himself in a tube full of water that he didn't even have enough room to move his arms out. He looked around frantically and placed his hands on the glass of the tube. _

_"It-it's moving…" He looked to the woman who uttered those words. She was a tall thin woman with short brown hair, a strong face, and brown eyes almost so dark they looked black; she looked to be in her 30's. For some reason this woman terrified him. He looked to the other two people in the room both male. The one closest to him, who he could tell was John, was a short man who looked around 43 years old; he had short light brown hair and blue eyes. The other man was of average height and had short blond hair and blue eyes He looked to be in his 30's. His face held an expression of excitement while the other two held expressions of shock and amazement. _

_The blond haired man, who as he got closer Abe could make out a few personal facts about him. His name was James Slown, a 36 year old scientist who works for the B.P.R.D. "Amazing." The single word caused Abe to tilt his head in confusion, he knew the language and yet it was different somehow. _

_It took him a moment of opening and closing his mouth for him to finally speak. "What is?" He blinked and tilted his head the other way. When he spoke everyone jumped and the woman yelled. _

_"It can speak?!" He backed away a few inches to have his back met with glass. He withdrew his hands from the glass and held them close to his body. _

_"Do not yell your scaring him." Came the voice of someone new. He looked past the others and saw a man with light brown hair that looked like it hadn't been brushed in years. He took an interest in this new person and slowly floated back over to the front of the glass. This new man walked up to him and smiled slightly yet warmly, Abe blinked once more. "Hello, I am-"_

_"Professor Trevor Bruttenholm, an expert of the occult, the first and former director of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, and you are also the parental guardian of Hellboy." He said with one of his hands placed against the glass. "You are a British academic that is very well-versed in the supernatural" There was a long silence. One of the scientists dropped a clipboard breaking the silence and startling Abe causing him to move back again. _

_Broom nodded and smiled "Yes that is correct. How did you know all of that though?" He questioned raising an eyebrow. Abe floated there for a moment._

_"I do not know." Was his simple answer. _

_Broom nodded and turned to the other scientists. "I have to head to England tonight and will not return for some time. I trust you all to take good care of-"He stopped realizing he did not know if this creature even had a name. "What is your name?" He turned to Abe._

_Abe blinked again and thought a moment "If I do I cannot seem to remember it." Broom nodded and looked around noticing a small piece of old parchment. He looked at it and then at Abe._

_"What about Abraham Sapien?" Abe thought for a moment, he had no reason to not be called this; well besides the fact he thought it was a terrible name and didn't really like it. But this person was the first he had met so far that didn't call him and it and even got his gender right. _

_"Agreed. I will go by Abraham Sapien." _

_"Well then, Abraham I wish you the best and I must leave for now. I will be back in a few months." _

_"Farewell then, professor." With that Broom left him and the other scientists in that small lab room. Abe felt something sharp inserted into his arm and instantly sunk to the bottom of the tank where he looked up to see the woman scientist with her arm in the tank holding a needle. His mind became foggy and then went black. _

_The next thing he remembers was experiments were done on him, many of them agonizingly painful. This went on for what seemed like years. Then he heard someone yelling in the back of his mind. It sounded like someone with a German accent; it was yelling his name and that he needed to wake up._

Abe opened his eyes quickly to find himself inside another small tube that was slightly larger than the one we was just in. he looked around frantically trying to find a way out. He felt a sharp pain in his back chest and arm that caused his to stop and curl in on himself as he tried to stop the pain.

"Agent Sapien!" Krauss yelled earning his attention. "Calm down." He spoke quieter that time. Abe breathed heavily through his gills and looked at him. "Do you remember what happened? Do you know where you are?" Abe looked around and then the memories came back to him, they were fighting a hydra and it attacked him. "Then tell me."

He uncurled his body and floated there for a long while "We were fighting a hydra and it attacked me, something made it let go and I fell to the ground. Hellboy was keeping it away from us, while Liz was screaming my name-"He stopped and looked to Krauss, worry written on his face

"They are fine. Both of them are safe and sleeping."

Abe nodded "How long have I been out?"

"3 weeks." Abe was shocked at this

"3-3 weeks? Why was I out for that long?"

"Your breathing apparatus was shattered and some of the glass found its way into your gills and shredded them badly. You were drowning in your own blood. That and the head that bit you was the one that contained venom, you almost died." Abe sighed deeply and sunk down in his tank as far as the wires and chest piece that helped him heal would allow. He closed his eyes half way and stared at nothing. "Well I shall take me leave now." Abe reached his hand out and it hit the glass hard. Krauss turned back to him. "Yes?" He asked.

"Can you-"He stopped and sighed "Would you mind staying?" Krauss turned to him

"Why?"

"It's just that I- Well…" He closed his eyes for a long moment "The last time I was in one of these I almost died as well, and before then I was found in something like this but smaller… My first memories of this place are not pleasant-"

"You had nightmare, it wasn't a nightmare was it? It was your memories of this place?" Abe nodded and Krauss walked over and sat down in a chair. "I will stay. But only until the morning, then I need to leave and do other things, deal?"

Abe nodded and smiled slightly "Deal."

"So, would you care to tell me about it? You do not have to if you do not want to but it might help." Krauss suggested. Abe nodded slightly and closed his eyes half way again. The next hour or two was filled with Abe telling Krauss about when he had first gotten to B.P.R.D and how the scientists kept experimenting on him causing him both mental and physical pain. He told him about how he met Hellboy when he was practically just into his teens and how he saved him from the torment and the experiments by telling the scientists to stop in a rather aggressive way.

"How did he get them to stop?" Krauss asked

Abe laughed slightly at the memories hen sighed "He looked like a 13 year old throwing a fit. He came in and ordered them to stop, when they pretty much laughed in his face and told him to go play with some other demons he got mad and walked over to me. Once he was over to the tube I was in he slammed his fists into it and broke the glass. The next thing I knew, I was lying on the ground and holding my hands over my ears. He almost broke my eardrums when he hit the glass so hard. They stopped that day and Soon Professor Broom came back and had a tank built in the library for me to live in. That's when I became an agent here. Although most are dead now, many of the agents here and scientists… They hated me more than they did Hellboy. Never accepted me. Hellboy quickly became my best friend. Then we met Liz and we all formed a friendship that has lasted around 20 years. "

They sat there in silence for a few hours until the clock reached 7 in the morning. "I must take my leave now. Would you like anything?" Abe looked around and spotted his Rubik's cube. "Could you bring me that?" He pointed to it. Krauss nodded and grabbed it dropping it into Abe's tank. "Thank you, Mr. Krauss. Not only for handing this to me but for staying here for so long."

"Abschied (Farewell)" He replied and walked out of the room leaving Abe to mess with the small puzzle cube. Abe turned himself upside-down and continued to play with the small puzzle in his hands

"3 decades and I have only completed 2 sides… and yet I do not grow tired of this puzzle." He mumbled to himself and he looked it over and twisted its sides trying to complete another side.

* * *

**I do not speak German, whenever I use another language I am using Google translate and I do not know how accurate it is. Sorry if the translations are complete and utter shit. *Bows in an apologetic manner* Also my grammar sucks, so sorry. :) **


	3. Liz

Later that day sometime around 4 P.M Abe looked up from his square puzzle to See Liz standing inches from his tank. He backed away quickly and his back collided with the glass behind him, he hissed lightly as his back pulsed with a dull pain. He had not been expecting to have seen her so close. He didn't hear her come in and for some reason he did not sense her presence there. She smiled at his sadly and then spoke.

"Hey…" Her voice sounded distant to him and also sounded sad.

He was quiet for a short moment "What's wrong, Liz?" He questioned tilting his head to the left slightly. She took a step forward making it so the glass was only an inch or so away from touching her face. She stared at him from a long time. Her eyes looked at him like he wasn't there, like he wasn't real. "Liz?"

"We almost lost you, Abe…" Her voice was hardly above a mumble as her gaze drifted to the grey tile flooring.

He blinked twice before speaking "But as you can see, I am very much alive-"

"Hardly" She cut him off and looked up quickly. That's when Abe noticed her eyes. They were red and slightly puffy; Abe could tell she had been crying… A lot. "Krauss didn't tell you, did he?" Abe blinked once more by her question

"Tell me what, Liz?"

Liz closed her eyes and swallowed thickly and heavily. There was no sound but the footsteps and chatter of various agents and scientists in the hallway. Liz finally spoke after what seemed like hours.

"You… You flat lined 6-…" She paused and sniffed slightly "6 times, Abe" If it was possible Abe's eyes would have widened at the information he just received from one of his best friends. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but no words came out. "They wanted to give up on helping you after the 3rd try but Red wouldn't allow it and threatened to kill them If they even thought about letting you die. He stayed down her for 2 weeks straight and wouldn't leave for anything. He would just sit here next to your tank and watch you."

"Well that's really kind of… Creepy to think about…" Abe said trying to joke and lighten the mood. He was happy when he saw it worked and Liz's face softened slightly as she genuinely laughed quietly.

"He's worried, he'd never admit it or say it, but he is. When I finally got him to leave he would come down here whenever he had the chance."

Abe nodded and sighed "Blaming himself no doubt…" He mumbled "Thank you for getting him to leave, Liz. Knowing him he would have stayed here until I woke up and for all we know that could have been months. He would have ended up down here with me."

"Liz nodded in agreement and sat down in the chair next to his tank. She placed her right hand against the glass and Abe placed his left on his side of the glass above hers.

"This seems familiar." He said quietly

"Yeah," She smiled and laughed sadly while she said that. "When I came back it was like this, You hurt, Red pouting and blaming himself and me… not knowing what to do and looking for your guidance like you were a parent or older brother."

"Well we are family. In the end all us freaks have are each other." The little comment made Liz smile and laugh

"I recall you saying that before." She leaned against the glass slightly. "Promise me something, Abe?"

"What is it?"

She hesitated "Promise me… Promise me that you won't die for at least another 70 years." She half joked but the seriousness in her voice told Abe she wasn't fully joking. Abe sighed and floated upright and then he crossed his legs.

"Liz, you know I cannot make a promise like that. I cannot see the future."

She looked at him her eyes becoming hard and serious "Promise me, Abe. Please" She almost ordered and almost begged her blue friend.

Abe decided to just do as she asked "I Promise." He said while looking into her eyes as they softened at the words he spoke.

"Good." She smiled and leaned back in her chair. "Have you gotten any farther in with your puzzle?"

Abe looked at the Rubik's cube in his hands then looked at her and shook his head showing her the only two sides that were finished were the blue and green sides. "2 more years and I still only have these 2 sides finished." He shrugged and let the puzzle drop to the bottom of the tank.

"So, no." She smiled and shook her head "The smartest person here and you cannot finish that little puzzle."

"I've told you that I am not a problem solver."

"I know. I recall you saying that as well." She thought a moment "Have you read anything interesting?" Abe began to tell her about all the poems and books he had been reading for the past 2 years. Before either of them noticed 3 hours had passed. Liz smiled at him while she listened to him tell her about the stories he was reading, she glanced at the clock and jumped up from her seat.

"Damn… I'm sorry, blue I need to go. Krauss wanted to talk to me about something.

"Do not be sorry, I understand" He nodded for her to go.

"Bye." She waved as she walked out of the room.

"Farewell, Liz and thank you for staying with me for a few hours." He said before she left the room fully earning another smile from the black haired woman. Soon after Liz had left the room Abe let his eyes close. He knew he should have rested more when he woke up, but he was scared to fall asleep. He was scared that he might be asleep now and that when he woke up everything, everyone he knew here, his memories of this place, that all of it would be gone and he would be alone. Even now he felt alone.


	4. Hellboy We will always stand by you, Abe

Several weeks later Abe was able to leave that damn tank he had to stay in, in order to heal and could return to the library he lived in. In the weeks he had been awake a few people came and visited him. Krauss would visit every now and then to tell him about current cases or to ask for help on one considering Abe could look up the facts about whatever they were fighting faster than anyone else, he didn't even have to be there. Liz would visit every day and they would talk about the past, the books Abe was reading or had read, and things Liz found funny that would happen every now and then. Manning would come in once or twice a week to see if Abe could return to work and that's about all he ever came in for. But in all the time Abe spent awake his best friend, Hellboy, would never come and see him. Not once did the large red man come in and talk to Abe. Abe always asked Liz why he refused to come in and see him, Liz always said she didn't know why he wouldn't come. Abe sighed as he picked out a couple of books and placed them on the desk. He stared down at the four books he choose and decided that for once he didn't want to read anything. He shook his head at himself and sat down in the chair next to the desk. He looked up and saw a picture of Liz, Hellboy, Professor Broom, and him hanging on the wall.

In the picture Liz had long hair and was standing next to Professor Broom with her arms crossed and her weight put mainly on her left leg. Professor Broom was standing straight with his hands behind his back and his head held high. Hellboy was standing on the other side of Broom with his stone arm wrapped tightly around Abe's neck pulling the blue man closer to them. Abe was balancing on one leg his mouth wide open as he was yelling at Hellboy for so rudely pulling him over, meanwhile Hellboy was just smiling and laughing. In the background Abe could make out Manning yelling at someone unseen as they were out of the shot of the photo with his hands waving high above his head. Abe laughed lightly and quietly as his hands fell into his lap, the photo still held tightly in his blue hands. He sighed sadly as he continued to stare at the photo in his lap. It was taken at a much better time in their history. Broom was still alive; Manning wasn't as much of a stick in the ass as he is now, Liz while she didn't have as much confidence as she does now didn't have her "arguments" as much with Hellboy. And Abe. He could think straighter. He wasn't as confused, and it seemed like him and Hellboy were as close as brothers in the past. Abe understands with everything that has happened in the recent years that it's natural for Hellboy to be busier than he used to, but Abe was sensitive to emotions and it felt like Hellboy wanted to keep his distance.

"Memories of the past getting' to ya?" He jumped and dropped the picture when he heard Hellboy's voice from the door.

"Red." He put a hand on his chest "You scared me. You usually are not that quiet." He said while trying to calm his heart rate down.

"I wasn't. I cleared my throat 5 times and closed the door loudly." He said walking over to Abe but still keeping his distance.

Abe tilted his head to the right slightly "Really? Hmm… I guess I really wasn't paying much attention at all, was I?" He looked down at the fallen picture seeing glass shattered around it. "Damn." He muttered and kneeled down cleaning up the broken glass and the picture. Hellboy stayed where he was and watched Abe pick up the glass and then set the glass and photo on the desk he had been sitting on.

"What picture is it?" He questioned not really looking at Abe anymore.

"It's the only one of all of us together. Its' the one that was taken just before Liz left." He said while glancing around the room confirming that Hellboy had come alone. After a while of silence Abe jumped up from his spot and walked over to Hellboy. "So, what can I do for you, Red?"

Hellboy opened his mouth to say something but closed it. They stood in silence for a moment. "'Sorry about what happened with the Hydra." He said quickly

Abe stood there stunned, Not only was Hellboy apologizing but he was apologizing for something that wasn't his fault. "It wasn't your fault, Red."

"Yeah well I wasn't focused like you and Krauss told me to be and I didn't realize it was going after you until it was too late. That's where it became my fault." He explained his tail flicking back and forth behind him like an agitated cat.

Abe sighed and motioned for Hellboy to follow him to the other side of the library. When they got to the other side of the library Abe sat down while Hellboy stayed standing. "You always blame yourself for things you had no control over."

Hellboy chuckled and shook his head. "I could have done somethin', Abe. "  
Abe sighed and placed a hand on his head mumbling something under his breath. Hellboy raised and eyebrow and looked at him. "There was nothing you could have done. How many times will I have to-"

Hellboy cut him off by slamming his stone arm onto one of the bookshelves. Some books fell to the ground while others along with the bookshelf were smashed and now lay on the floor in broken pieces. Abe stared at him with his mouth open to say something but no words came out. "I hate feeling helpless!" He yelled turning his attention to his friend. "I lost my father, blue. I dont want to lose my best friend too." His jaw tightened then losened again.

Abe looked at him for a moment before standing and walking over to him. Hesitantly he plaed a hand on Hellboy's shoulder. He could feel what Hellboy was feeling. "You wont, Red." He sighed and began to pick up the books and broken shelf pieces. "I am more durable than a human. Your the religious one." He state and stood up agani pointing to the cross hanging from Hellboys belt. "Have some faith." Hellboy only smiled and shook his head. "Red, we can only do so much. If it was my time to leave i would have been fine with that. What is it humans always say?" He thought a moment "Were only human?" Hellboy nodded and Abe continued "Well we are by no means human, Liz is the closest one to human here besides maybe Manning. But we are like humans in many ways. Our emotions, thoughts, the way we look. While I look like a huminiod fish, and you look like a big red monkey, our bodies, our minds can only take so much. Beating yourself up about what happened to me will do no good for anyone. I understand how you feel. When ever you or Liz get injured I always feel as though its my fault. I always end up thinking about what happened and what I could have done. If I had been a second later or before it would have happened different. But then I think about how it would be different. Someone else could have died or the person we were trying to save could die anyway." Hellboy just stared at his blue friend and then sighed.

"How is it you always know what to say?"

Abe shrugged and looked at all the books in the room while pointing at them. "I read in my spare time, Red. Most of what I know and understand come from the authors of these books. I will tell you what I have told Liz. In the end all us freaks have are each other. No use in avoiding that."

Hellboy swallowed and then shoved Abe playfully "Sorry about the books and for not coming to see you when you were awake. I just thought you might blame me or somethin' like that."

Abe blinked "Its alright. I didnt like these book anyway. And i dont blame you." He set some of the undamaged books on a table near the fireplace.

"Thanks." Hellboy smiled when Abe turned his back and quickly wrapped his stone around Abe's neck. "I got an idea."

Abe struggled to get free from his red friend "If you let go you can tell me about it!" He almost yelled causing Hellboy to let go. Abe watched Hellboy walk to the other side of the room and pick up the picture.

"You know I'm not big on being sentimental and all, but why don't we take another photo?" He looked to Abe "You know before one of us kicks the bucket." Abe walked over and nodded.

"I think that would be nice, Red."

After some convincing of Krauss they decided to take the picture with in the next few days. Abe had also convinced Liz to tell Hellboy she was pregnant and was surprised at how happy he was when he found out. Hellboy didn't seem like the kind of person to want kids but apparently he was. Soon they had all gotten together and convinced a scientist to take the picture. Krauss stood next to Liz at attention with his hands behind his back while Liz put most of her weight on her left leg with her arms crossed, she was standing next to Hellboy who had his right arm wrapped around her neck. Abe was standing on the other side of Hellboy who right before the picture was taken grabbed him the same way he had in the first picture, with his stone arm around the blue mans neck pulling him closer to the rest of them. After it was taken and they looked at it they saw Manning in the back ground yelling at someone with his hands above his head.

Hellboy laughed once dryly when he saw it "Manning always knows how to just show up doesn't he?" Liz smiled slightly and if Krauss could he would have smiled slightly as well. Abe only stared at the photo with sad eyes. Hellboy looked at him and shoved him slightly. "Whats with you?"

Abe stayed silent for a moment then spoke "Even though I know it is unlikely to occur, I cannot help but think about... What would happen if one of use were to betray the rest. I dont know what I would do or who's side I would take." He sighed. Liz walked over to him and placed her hands on his shoulders. He looked at her.

"Dont worry about it. No matter what happens between us all, we will always stand by you, Abe"


End file.
